


The Family You Choose

by CherryMilkshake



Series: Who would have thought you'd be a big softie? [8]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Non-Sexual Slavery, Past Sexual Abuse, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-08 11:43:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11645856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryMilkshake/pseuds/CherryMilkshake
Summary: When one of Dorian's younger cousins is suddenly orphaned, he finds himself in the position of next of kin. The girl is quiet and shy, and holds a lot of fear in her heart.Obligation becomes want, and the Adaar-Pavus clan gains a new member.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **OH BOY mind the tags.** There will be no explicit content, but Theo's past experiences will not be ignored.

Dorian was tired. He sighed as he left the Magisterium floor, rubbing his chin to cover up a yawn. Ugh, his throat hurt. As he approached the salon room where Maevaris and the other Lucerni members were going to meet and discuss the day's events, he was stopped by the sound of his name. "Magister Pavus!"

Suppressing an outward sigh, Dorian turned and smiled. "Yes?"

It was an official messenger, judging by the cloak pin with the Archon's crest on it. A young girl, no older than eight or nine, stood awkwardly behind him. She had skin a few shades lighter than Dorian's own, with dark brown curls that hung just past her shoulders. She was clearly uncomfortable and upset, her posture closed off, her head down. 

"Ser," the messenger said, "I regret to inform you that your cousin, the late Gloria Thalrassian, has unexpectedly passed away, along with her husband, Cassius Selixus." 

Dorian knitted his brow. He hadn't been especially close to his cousin—the daughter of his mother's younger brother. He'd attended her wedding as a young man of 23, and that was probably the last he'd seen of her. They'd written on the appropriate holidays, of course, at least while Dorian was in the country, but he could hardly remember what color the woman's hair had been, let alone anything important about her. "Oh, that's… too bad. I'm very sorry to hear it. I assume I'm learning of this by messenger instead of letter because she's left me something?"

"In a… manner of speaking, Magister." He gestured to the girl, who lowered her head further, only sneaking glances up at Dorian when she thought he wasn't looking. 

Oh Maker, she'd had a child. "Am I really next of kin?" he asked, baffled. 

"Well, Lord Selixus had no direct kin young enough to be fit, and Lady Thalrassian refused so… yes, you are next in line. Beyond that is your cousin, Cyrus."

Kaffas, he hadn't seen Cyrus in even more time than Gloria, but Dorian knew he shouldn't be responsible for the well-being of a  _ plant _ , let alone a little girl. "And beyond that?" he asked.

"The state would take her," the messenger said reluctantly. And there was no money in that, Dorian knew. She'd end up in an overcrowded orphanage. Her blood would keep her out of slavery, so long as her magic manifested, but if it didn't… 

He sighed and knelt down to try and meet her eye. "Hello there. What's your name, dulcia?"

She tugged on her hair, looking away. "Theo," she mumbled. 

"Theodora Selixus," the messenger said. "She's eight years old."

"Theo," she said again, softer this time. 

Dorian nodded at her and smiled. "Theo, I got it. Do you  _ want  _ to stay with me, Theo?"

She shrugged. 

The messenger was watching. Dorian stood up. "Would it be possible for me to take her temporarily, let her see if she wants to stay before I become her legal caretaker?"

"That shouldn't be a problem, Magister." He shuffled through his bag, finding the appropriate papers. "There's a grace period of 30 days for her to find a home."

Dorian took the papers and put them in the pouch at his belt. He held out his hand. "Want to come with me to my meeting? I'm sure Maevaris will like you."

Slowly, Theo took the offered hand, curling her fingers around his first two. 

"You're late!" Maevaris said, angrily at first but softening when she saw Theo. "Dorian, who is this?"

"This is my cousin, Theo," he said. "Theo, this is Maevaris, Rilienus, Luca, Chloe, and Ampelius." He leaned closer and stage whispered, "Maevaris is the only important one you need to know." 

"Hey!" Luca said, crossing his arms in a huff. 

"Oh, hush. You know he's right," Chloe said, amused.

Theo only tugged on her hair, staring up at the gathered adults. Dorian brought her to an empty chair, then went through the things hanging from his belt. He didn't really have anything… child-appropriate to read on him. "Do you like to draw?" he asked her.

She nodded a little.

So Dorian gave her some scratch paper and a pen, before turning to face the gathered magisters. "Alright, sorry about that. There's some family issues going on. But, you all heard Adrian in there, right?"

"Kaffas,  _ did _ I," Luca groaned.

Chloe smacked his shoulder and gestured at Theo. "Language!"

Dorian snorted and shook his head, before he and Maevaris got the meeting underway. 

\-- 

Afterward, Dorian and Theo went back to his Minrathous apartment. It was nothing fancy, four rooms, one servant—Melina. (Dorian paid her well to keep the place clean and feed him.)

She was finishing dinner when he entered. "Good evening, Magister. And… who is this?" she said to Theo, giving her a kind smile.

"Theo," she mumbled. 

"My cousin. She's recently orphaned, and apparently I'm next in line to care for her."

"Oh dear," Melina said. "Come here, dulcia, let's get you some food. I doubt Magister Pavus even thought to get you fed."

She shook her head, and Dorian winced. He hadn't.

Melina gave him an exasperated stare as she got Theo settled at the table and put a bowl of lamb and rice in front of her. Theo ate ravenously, only making Dorian feel worse. 

"You have a  _ son _ ," Melina said, preparing him a bowl. "How in the world could you forget to feed her?"

"My son is very vocal about wanting food!" Dorian said in his defense. Theo was looking around, probably for this mysterious son. "He doesn't live here," he said in answer. "He lives in Kirkwall with my husband."

Here was where he needed to test the waters. Theo was young, but she was still a Tevinter alta. If she was going to take issue with his family, she couldn't stay—it'd be bad for him and her both.

"Husband?" she asked.

"Husband," Dorian confirmed.

She chewed her food thoughtfully. "Why?"

"Because we love each other very much."

She picked at a single grain of rice. "My mother and father didn't love each other," she said.

Dorian nodded as he sat down beside her. "Neither did mine. I didn't think that seemed like a nice life."

After moment more of pondering, she nodded. "Yeah. Okay. How old is your son?"

"He's ten, just a little older than you. His name is Julian."

"Mm." She picked at her food some more. 

"Did you go to school with other children?" Dorian asked. By the time he had been her age, he had come into his magical talent and was just beginning his studies at the Circle at Carastes, but he had been unusually young. Bern meanwhile had insisted Julian attend school in Hightown, to make sure his social circle wasn't just adults he and Dorian knew. 

But Theo shook her head. Dorian got the impression she'd been quite isolated and ignored, based on how shy she was.

"You had a tutor then?"

She nodded. 

"Did you like him? Do you want me to have him still be your teacher?"

She shrugged.

"Would you rather go to school?"

She shrugged again.

Dorian was getting frustrated, but he simply took a deep breath and focused on his food. She had been through a lot. It wasn't fair of him to expect her to be fine. "Melina, can you set up the guest room for her?"

"Of course, ser. Are you finished eating, dulcia? Do you want to come help me pick out your blankets?"

She looked at the bowl, its contents three-quarters eaten, and nodded, pushing it away to stand and follow Melina down the hall. 

Dorian pulled the sending crystal up out of his robes and opened it one-handed. "Amatus, are you free to talk?" he asked. 

After a few moments, he got an answer. " _Yes. What's wrong, Dorian?_ "

"So, do you remember how you adopted a child without consulting me?"

A long, uncomfortable silence. " _Yes…?_ "

"How would you feel if I've kind of done the same thing?"

There was another long silence. " _You're going to need to start at the beginning, Dorian_."

And so he did. By the time he was finished, there was "mysteriously" a glass of wine in his hand, with the open bottle sitting in front of him. "So, she really shouldn't be given to Cyrus. And Maker forbid she become a ward of the state. So…" He trailed off.

" _There's just us, _ " Bern finished. " _Honestly, I think Julian would be thrilled to have a sister. But have you told her we're qunari? I don't want to surprise her with something like that._ "

"Not yet. I wasn't really sure how to broach the subject. It was nerve-wracking enough explaining that I have a husband."

" _Dorian, she's eight. You're being silly._ "

"She's a very serious eight-year-old. When Julian was eight, he was still trying to eat dirt. I don't know how to handle someone this serious."

" _She's sad, Dorian. Her parents just died. Give her some time to open up. Maybe you could let us talk a bit before you tell her. Let her know I'm not scary first._ "

"Good idea."

" _Not tonight. Just let her rest, Dorian. Just because _ you  _ cope by doing everything in your power to ignore what's bothering you doesn't mean everyone does._"

"Goodness, between you and Melina, I just cannot escape criticism on my parenting today!" He finished his glass.

" _I love you, Dorian. You're a good father. No one is perfect, kadan._ "

He smiled, resting his chin on his hand, imagining Bern's face. "I suppose when one has perfect good looks he's going to lack in other areas of his life."

Bern laughed. " _That's the spirit. Here's my suggestion: tonight, let her sleep. Leave her be. Tomorrow evening, let her and I talk, then tell her Julian and I are qunari. And let her decide from there._ "

"Yes, that seems like a good plan. I should sleep myself. I've been up since dawn."

" _Sleep, kadan. I love you._ " 

"Love you too, amatus." He closed the crystal's housing and stood, setting his empty bowl in the washtub. He peeked into the guest room, where Theo was crying into Melina's lap. He quietly slipped away and readied himself for bed. He found more and more that he  _ wanted  _ to keep her, beyond his initial feelings of "there's really no one better suited than me". 

He could only hope that she eventually felt the same. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo settles into her new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter to celebrate the end of the camps I had to teach these last few weeks!

The next day was a day off, so Dorian decided to spend it with Theo. He let her sleep in, reading in his office until he saw her head poke around the corner. "Good morning," he said, setting the book aside. "Hungry? Melina saved you some breakfast."

Theo nodded and followed him into the kitchen, where she ate her fill of bread and fruit. She didn't say anything, just watched him while she ate, her gray eyes wide as she stared. 

"You look at me like you're expecting me to do something," he commented, and she looked away.

He didn't know how to do this. Julian was gregarious. He was loud and cuddly and excitable. Theo was… not. Though, something about her was familiar in a way.

"What do you like to do, Theo?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"Now, you must have something you enjoy."

She shrugged again, but she appeared to be thinking about it. "Sewing," she said at last.

"Embroidery? Or actually making clothing?"

"Cross-stitch," she answered, her voice soft, like it was a secret.

"Do you have any to work on?"

She shook her head, biting into her last bit of orange. She was so _small_. Dorian wasn't sure if it was just because his son was a qunari, thus throwing his sense of scale off, but even with that in mind, she had tiny little fingers and her dress—mourning gray—hung loose on her frame. It only served to feed the beast of protectiveness that was swiftly growing in his gut.

"Would you like to get some?" he asked.

She looked genuinely taken aback that he would offer. "Y-yes," she stammered. "Please!"

So when Melina returned from the market a short while later, a basket of fresh bread and fruit under her arm, he asked her where they could go to find everything Theo would need. 

Dorian didn't miss that she put a pastry into Theo's hands before the two of them left. It wasn't just him then. 

The hobby shop was small, but the clerk was very friendly, helping them gather a good bundle of colored thread, canvas, a set of needles, a thimble, two embroidery hoops, and a small book of patterns. Dorian watched Theo walk around, reverently running her hands over the sample designs hung up on the walls, quietly stroking the collections of thread, before stopping in front of the clerk in the back to watch her spin raw silk into thread.

The stuff wasn't exactly cheap, but when he handed Theo the bag, and she looked up at him with the first genuinely happy expression he'd ever seen on her face, it was completely worth it. They had lunch at a small cafe, sitting outside and watching the people on the road. 

Afterward, they stopped at a small stand for iced drinks on the way back. The person running the stand, an ice mage, smiled at Theo as she handed over the cup of iced lemonade, before giving Dorian his chocolate. 

Theo smiled as she sipped hers. It was a hot day, though not too muggy—the perfect sort of day to walk around the park. So, instead of heading home, Dorian steered her toward the trees. There were plenty of people about—there always were in Minrathous. It was a comfortable sort of anonymity. They sat on a bench and finished their drinks.

"Would you like to meet my husband, Theo?"

She looked at him. "In Kirkwall?"

"I have a way to speak even when we're far apart," Dorian explained. "It's magic." He winked.

Theo looked down at her cup. "Okay," she said. "Is he nice?"

"He is _very_ nice. All of my niceness comes from him. I certainly didn't get it from my father." Dorian rolled his eyes.

"Mm." Theo looked like she was brooding again. "Was your father mean?" she asked.

Dorian sighed. "I don't know if I would put it like that. He was… selfish, maybe is a better word. He loved me in his way, but it was always more about him than me."

Theo frowned. Maybe that was a little over her head? "My father was mean," she said. 

Despite the hot day, Dorian felt cold. He wanted to ask, _ached_ to ask, but she looked so sad, so small, so scared. Instead, he put an arm around her, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry, dulcia."

She was completely frozen against him, shaking slightly. Dorian quickly let her go. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

She nodded quickly, though her head didn't move far up or down. 

"My apologies," Dorian said. "I'll warn you next time I want to hug you."

She nodded; she was back to her silence, Dorian supposed. 

"Do you want to head back to the apartment?" he asked.

She looked up at the trees and sky, the people milling about enjoying the sun, and shook her head. 

He smiled as he removed a book from his belt, flipping open to where he'd left off. "Well, let me know when you do."

She was looking at the book now.

"This is by Rilienus. You met him, remember? He's a researcher on auras and resonance, in addition to his work in the Magisterium. This is a draft of his first book on the subject." 

She looked confused, and Dorian chuckled. "It's okay if you don't understand. Most _mages_ don't understand much about it. Hence the book. In short, he studies how magic changes things even if it isn't cast _on_ those things. Like a staff or a lantern."

"Oh," she said, glancing down at the words. "That sounds interesting."

"It is, though I'm afraid he isn't much of a writer." He took out a pen and made some notes, underlining two cases of especially atrocious phrasing. "Ah, my friend he may be, but by the Maker, I cry for his editor."

Theo smiled and finished her lemonade, setting the cup aside to hug her bag of embroidery supplies to her chest contentedly. 

"Would you like some help picking out a pattern to start?" Dorian asked her after he finished a few pages. 

She looked at him almost distrustfully at first, but pulled out the pattern book, opening it. They were homey, innocuous designs. Some plants, stylized animals—dragons, a nug, a lion—as well as some abstract designs that depicted nothing in particular. She was contemplating the nug.

"You know, they're cute overall, but have you ever looked at their feet? They have _fingers_ for toes."

Theo cocked her head as she examined it more closely, then quickly turned the page. 

Dorian smiled as she continued to page through, landing this time on a druffalo. She looked at him, for his opinion. "Druffalo are marvelous," he said. "Big, but very gentle if you don't hurt them." He chuckled ruefully. "Now I'm just thinking about Bern."

"Who's that?" 

"My husband. Did I not mention his name 'til now?"

She shook her head.

"Well, his name is Bern. He's very big, and very gentle to those who don't hurt him. But Maker help you if you make him angry."

She made a small thoughtful noise, looking back at the druffalo design. It was fairly simple, mostly a silhouette, with highlights and shadows marked. It was maybe about as big as his hand. Carefully, Theo folded the page corner down to mark it. 

\--

They returned to the apartment. Melina was stirring dinner as they walked in, the entire place smelling of spices and cooking meat—chicken if Dorian's nose was any good. His stomach growled. He could've sworn he saw Theo smile before her expression evened out again.

He smiled to himself and told her to go take her new things to her room and wash up for dinner. 

"Did you feed her this time?" Melina asked wryly.

"I did, thank you very much."

"Maker be praised." She smirked as she doled out the food and set it on the table as Theo returned and sat down. "So what did you and Magister Pavus do, Theo?" she asked.

"We got embroidery things," she explained in a soft voice. "Then we got lunch and icy drinks and sat in the park. He helped me pick out a design to start."

"That's wonderful," Melina said kindly. "I'm glad you two are getting along." She leaned in closer to Theo, dropping her voice a little. "I told you, didn't I? He's a good man, under all the magister." Theo smiled when Dorian retorted that his very _existence_ should change whatever Melina was using as the definition of "magister". He felt his heart warm at the sight.

After dinner, Dorian ushered Theo into his office to get them out of Melina's way, and showed her the sending crystal. "Can you feel the magic?" he asked her.

She touched the golden housing, her fingertips pulling away almost as soon as they made contact. "I… think so," she said. 

Dorian opened the crystal. "Amatus? Are you there?"

After a moment, the crystal flashed and settled into a steady glow, the connection established. " _Yes, I'm here, Dorian._ "

Theo's eyes widened, lit by the blue. 

"Say hello to Theo. She's here too."

" _Hello, Theo._ " Dorian would never understand how Bern made even simple words sound so damn kind. " _My name is Bern._ "

"Hello," Theo said shyly.

"Here, dulcia." Dorian placed the crystal in her hands. "You can get to know him by yourself, okay?"

He stepped out of the office, then immediately sat down by the door to eavesdrop.

" _So, Dorian told me your parents just died,_ " Bern said gently.

There was silence.

" _Theo?_ "

"Oh, sorry," she said. "I nodded, but you can't see me…" 

" _That's okay. It was hard to get used to at first for me too. How are you doing?_ "

"I dunno," she said. Dorian could picture her pulling on her hair. "It's very different here."

" _Is Dorian being good to you? Not too insufferable?_ "

"He's been very nice," she said, a small smile in her voice. Dorian's heart warmed.

" _Good. So, do you have any questions for me?_ "

Theo hummed thoughtfully. "Where are you from?"

" _I was born in Ferelden and lived there until I was 19 or so. Then I moved to the Free Marches. We did a lot of traveling there. I couldn't really say any of the Marcher cities were my home back then. Though now I live in Kirkwall with my son, Julian, and Dorian._ "

Theo hesitated, then asked, "How do you have a son? I thought you needed a mother for that…?"

" _You do. Julian is adopted. But we took him in when he was very young. He's never known any other parents._ "

"I see," she said. "Would you love him more if he was _really_ your son?"

Dorian winced. 

" _Julian_ is _really my son. Blood doesn't make family, little one, feelings do._ "

She was quiet for a long moment. Bern let her think, not interrupting. Dorian didn't know how he could be so patient. "So… Just because people are my blood, that doesn't mean I have to love them?"

" _You love who you love, Theo. If someone is cruel to you, or hurts you, you don't have to keep them in your life. And you certainly don't have to love them._ "

Theo was silent for a long moment. Dorian then heard her sniffle, and the wet sound of her rubbing her nose. Quietly, he stood and went to the kitchen, leaving Bern and Theo alone to continue their conversation.

Melina was just finishing up the dishes. "How'd it go?" she asked.

"They're still talking," Dorian said. "I was starting to feel bad about eavesdropping."

"As you well should," she sniffed. "A girl needs her privacy."

Dorian raised an eyebrow. "And boys don't?"

Melina snorted. "I had two brothers and a sister growing up. Trust me, there isn't much that boys keep private."

"I take offense to that," Dorian said, pouring himself a glass of wine. "I'll have you know I was _quite_ private with my parents."

Melina chuckled. "I'm sure you weren't at school among your friends, especially not at her age."

With a laugh, Dorian sat down at the table, swirling his glass. "I thank you for implying I had friends, as if I weren't completely insufferable then."

"Dear Maker, you were _more_ insufferable?" 

"Shocking, I know." Dorian got out Rilienus' book and his pen again, editing idly while he waited for Theo and Bern to finish talking. After she put the clean dishes away, Melina refilled his glass from the bottle, then corked it and set it in the enchanted box on the counter. That would keep it chilled and dark, and prevent the delicate taste from souring. Afterward, she bid Dorian a good evening and went home to her own apartment.

Eventually, Theo emerged, her eyes pink around the edges, the crystal dangling from her hand. Dorian took it and closed it, putting it back around his neck. "So," he said warmly. "How did you like Bern?"

She smiled a little, and nodded. "He's kind," she said. 

"Would you like to see a drawing a friend of mine did of him?" he asked, his stomach giving a nervous sort of wiggle. 

Theo nodded, so Dorian brought her to his bedroom. It was a small, cozy space, with books stacked haphazardly about, depending on where his interests were at any given time, and a large, soft bed that dominated the room. The bureau was a deep wine-red wood, and older than him by half. Dorian took the framed drawing off his nightstand. It had been a gift from Sera. Though she and Bern had their differences, she had decided Dorian needed a pretty thing to look at "when you do the magical talking thing". 

It was ink and charcoal, Bern's freckles clouded over his cheeks, and the warmth of his smile captured by Sera's surprisingly-delicate hand. It had been more wonderful than he'd expected. Sera, meanwhile, hadn't quite known how to handle the compliments, her face turning bright red until she just sort of hit him and fled. 

Another drawing, this one of Dorian holding Julian during the wedding, sat in a larger frame still turned towards the bed. If Theo handled Bern well enough, he'd show her that one too.

Taking a deep breath, he held the frame out to Theo. She took it, her eyes widening as she saw his horns. "Ser Bern is a Qunari?" she gasped. 

"Mmhm," Dorian said. "Have you ever met one before?"

She shook her head, still looking at the drawing with rapt attention. "He didn't _sound_ like a Qunari," she said.

Dorian chuckled. He'd thought the same thing. "And what is a qunari supposed to sound like?" he asked.

"You know… Really big and gruff and grrrr," she said, curling her hand into a claw before letting it drop back to her side. "Ser Bern didn't sound like that."

"That's because he's from Ferelden. Fereldans are actually just overgrown puppies who look like people."

Theo giggled. "I think a Qunari puppy would be _really_ big," she said. She paused, tilting her head thoughtfully. "If he's Fereldan, does he have a mabari?"

"No, though that doesn't stop him talking about wanting one," Dorian answered, rolling his eyes. Even since Cullen had gotten a mabari, the subject invariably came up every few weeks. Dorian had a deep fear of going home one day and being surprised by a giant, smelly dog making itself at home in their bed.

Theo smiled and held out the picture for Dorian to take back. He did, then showed her the other one. "This is Julian and I, back when Julian was little enough for me to hold." 

"You look fancy," Theo commented. 

"Well, it _was_ my wedding," Dorian said wryly. 

Theo made a small noise, then looked back at the drawing. "Why are his horns so little?"

"They grow as a qunari does. When he was born, he had no horns at all."

"Like a goat?"

Dorian chuckled. "Yes, like a goat. Though a certain qunari I know would prefer that comparison be to a dragon."

Theo tilted her head. "Ser Bern?"

"No, a mutual friend of ours. His name is the Iron Bull." He gestured for her to follow him out of the bedroom. 

"Is that his _real_ name?" Theo asked skeptically. 

Dorian shrugged. "According to him, Qunari in Par Vollen are given numbers when they're born. They don't have 'real' names at all."

"He's Val-Tashoth?"

He couldn't fight the grin. "Tal-Vashoth," he corrected. "And yes, he is."

Theo chewed thoughtfully on her thumb. "I wonder what it's like to be a Qunari."

"Sometimes I wonder too. Perhaps you can talk to Bern about it later."

She smiled a little. "Yeah," she said quietly.

"I don't envy how they smack their horns into low doorways though," Dorian said.

Theo grinned and Dorian's heart warmed. 

\--

It didn't take long for Dorian's nightly routine to start with Theo talking to Bern before he did, then bringing him the glowing crystal after she was finished. Bern was quite fond of her, and Dorian suspected Theo felt the same.

Days turned into weeks and soon a messenger appeared at Dorian's door, asking if he would keeping Theo permanently. He looked down at her where she had her fingers hooked through the loops on his belt, staring at him. "Do you want to stay, Theo?" he asked her.

After a long moment, she nodded. Dorian smiled as he handed over the signed paperwork and bid the messenger farewell. When he closed the door, Theo let go of his clothes and stared up at him with a complicated expression. Then, slowly she opened her arms, asking for a hug.

Dorian grinned and knelt down to her level, carefully folding her into an embrace. He didn't know what sort of suffering she had known, but he was determined to make sure she never knew it again.

He stood, adjusting his grip so she came up with him. "Want to tell Bern?" he asked.

With a smile, she nodded and reached down to grab the locket, pulling it up to open it between them. "Amatus, are you there?" Dorian asked.

After a moment, Bern answered. " _Yes. I'm here with Julian._ "

" _Hi, Dad!_ " Julian's voice sounded far away. Dorian could picture him sprawled out across the couch with a book, leaning back to yell toward the crystal in Bern's hand. It made him smile. 

"I'm here too," Theo said in a soft voice, but a smile on her face. 

" _Hello, Theo._ "

" _Hi, Theo!_ "

Dorian looked at Theo, who nodded. "We've got something to tell you both," he said. "Good news."

" _I love good news,_ " Bern said. Dorian could hear the smile in his voice.

Theo placed her head against Dorian's temple. "I'm going to stay with Dorian," she said. 

Far away in Kirkwall, Dorian heard his family's excitement. " _Does that mean you're coming to visit next month with Dad?_ " Julian asked excitedly. 

Theo looked at Dorian, a question in her face.

"If she wants to, of course," Dorian said, smiling at her. 

She curled the crystal's chain around her fingers. "I want to," she said softly. 

" _Then we look forward to seeing you next month_ ," Bern said, buoyed by Julian's excited cries of " _yes!_ ", before he launched into a story. 

Theo was warm in Dorian's arms, and her laughter made his heart soar. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey to Kirkwall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sorry, I accidentally posted chapter 4 first! It wasn't supposed to be _that_ much of a timeskip! Make sure you read this one!)

Dorian still hated traveling by boat; he didn't doubt that he would for the rest of his life. However, it was the fastest way to get to Kirkwall, and he didn't want to stress Theo overmuch with her first big journey.

Over the past two months, she had put on weight—her fingers and wrists no longer spider-like in their thinness. She still wore mourning grey—that was expected for at least a year after her parents' passing—but she had started letting Melina braid her hair up, securing it with a delicate jeweled pin that had been an official adoption gift from Dorian.

She was still quiet, but more and more it was a comfortable quiet, instead of the deadly silence that she'd once worn as a protective cloak. Their journey began with a carriage south to Cumberland. It was not a quick trip, nor comfortable, but Theo seemed to mostly enjoy herself, using the copious amounts of downtime to work on a letter sampler, making her stitches smaller and more regular. 

It was during this trip that she decided to open up. Dorian had been daydreaming in the heat of the Silent Plains, only vaguely aware of Theo's mouth shifting from concentration to distress as she worked.

"My father was mean," she said suddenly, not looking up from her work.

Dorian shifted slowly, waking up. "Yes, you said as much."

"You never asked me to explain." She didn't sound accusing, just matter-of-fact.

He sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I didn't, no. It seemed to me you didn't want to discuss it." 

She nodded. "I…" She licked her lips nervously, wincing as she accidentally pricked herself with her needle. But she reset her stitch and kept going. "I didn't. I don't. But… I want you to know."

"You don't need to push yourself," Dorian said gently, but she shook her head.

"I want you to know. ...Even if it makes you hate me." 

He already knew he couldn't hate her. He told her as much and she glanced at him, smiling a little, but it was mistrustful. Her eyes dropped back to her work. "My parents died in a fire," she explained. "I know who started it. She saved me."

Dorian had known about the fire, but the culprit hadn't been caught, and no motive had been found. "Saved you from what, Theo?"

He expected the answer, but it still turned his spine to ice. "My parents." 

She looked up at him again, as if expecting a blow. He kept his face as still as he could. She continued.

"My father was mean. He… didn't love my mother. He wanted a different wife." She frowned at her cross-stitch. "He also wanted to help me 'practice' to be a wife." She spoke evenly, but the fingers holding the needle were shaking, and not from the jostling of the carriage.

For a second, Dorian wished the man were alive so he could kill him with his own hands. No magic, just fists. He didn't trust himself to comment.

"A… a slave in our house knew about it. One day, she told me we should go to the market together. We were there a long time. When we came back, the fire was too big for the fighters to put out. She squeezed my hand really tight, kissed my head, and left. I stayed until the people came to take me away."

Dorian took several long, deep breaths. "You said she was saving you from your parents. What did your mother do?"

"She knew what my father did. But she hated _me_ for it." Her gaze was far away, looking at the floor yet seeing something else entirely.

And this was his blood relative. Dorian felt his lip curl. Disgusting.

Theo hunched, her hands stilling.

Dorian was quick to reach across the way and put his hand on her shoulder. "None of it was your fault, Theo," he said firmly. "You did nothing wrong."

She sniffled. "But I… I was happy when I learned my parents were dead!" she cried, her cross-stitch falling to the floor. "I didn't tell anyone the slave's name! I helped a murderer! I'm a bad daughter!"

Dorian knelt on the floor, picking up her hoop and handing it back, leaning forward to look her in the face. "No, Theo, _you did nothing wrong_. Your parents are to blame for everything. Everything, you understand?" 

 

She wrapped her arms around his neck as she sobbed. He picked her up and sat back in his seat, holding her in his lap and rubbing her back. Eventually, she quieted and fell asleep there, her head on his shoulder, rocking with the rhythm of the carriage.

He held her until he too fell asleep, dreaming of cleansing fires and soothing rain.

\--

As they sailed the Waking Sea, Theo spent much of her time standing on deck, clinging to the rail beside Dorian as he tried not to retch by keeping his eyes on the horizon. Since telling Dorian about her parents, her mood had lifted higher than he'd ever seen.

When a strong wave caused the ship to rock more than usual, knocking her off her feet, she _giggled_ as she regained them. Even though he was queasy, Dorian couldn't help but smile and tease her as he leaned against the railing.

"I'm happy I live with you, Dorian," she said suddenly, giving him a smile. 

He smiled back. "I'm happy you do too. And that you have an easier time on boats than I do." He gripped the railing, white-knuckled as a damp chill crept over his back while his stomach roiled. 

Theo patted his arm lightly. "The captain said just a few more days. Feel better."

Dorian chuckled and reached over to squeeze her hand. "Yes ma'am. I'll do my best."

\--

Theo stood at the bow as they sailed between the weeping statues of the Kirkwall harbor. Her expression was solemn as they loomed overhead. "They're so big and sad," she said uncertainly. "Is Kirkwall a nice place?" she asked, turning to look up at Dorian.

He shrugged. "There are worse places, and better ones. The Viscount is a good man, and this is where my husband and son live, so it can't be a _bad_ place."

She seemed to ponder that for awhile, eyes turned upwards as they passed beneath the statues and into the harbor. The sounds of Kirkwall, the yelling of sailors and dockworkers, began to filter over the sounds of the waves and the creaking of the ship.

They docked and Dorian held Theo's hand as they walked down the gangplank. And standing head and shoulders above the crowd, a grey-skinned befreckled man with curling horns. Dorian grinned when their eyes met and Bern stooped to let Julian scramble up his arm to get his own head above the humans. He waved excitedly, stopping when he accidentally smacked his arm into Bern's horn and got a stern look.

Dorian chuckled and continued down to the dock. Theo squeezed his hand tightly, looking around the strange new city. As they waited for the sailors to unload their luggage, Bern and Julian made their way through the throng, the two qunari folding Dorian into a tight hug. "How did you know that was our ship?" Dorian asked.

"Varric had asked the guards to look out for it," Bern explained, kissing the top of Dorian's head. "And this is Theo, I presume?" He knelt down to look her in the eye. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand to shake. 

Watching him warily, Theo took hold of two of his broad fingers, shaking them solemnly. 

Julian ducked under his father's arm. "Hey! I'm Julian. But you knew that, I guess."

Theo nodded, letting go of Bern's hand to step uncertainly behind Dorian's leg.

Bern smiled at her, unfazed by her shyness. "I'll go make sure your luggage is loaded into our carriage. Be kind, Julian." 

"Yes, Baba," he said, stretching out every vowel with an eye roll as punctuation.

Bern patted the young qunari's head and made his way toward the sailors.

Theo's fingers tightened on Dorian's belt as she watched Julian. He was a head taller than her, with shockingly white hair and horn nubs about the length of Dorian's hand. Julian watched her right back, lips pursed. "Baba said you'd be shy, but I didn't expect you to be _this_ shy." He rubbed one of his horns. "Are you scared 'cause of the horns? 'Cause they're not even sharp, you know?"

She shook her head. 

"Then why are you scared? Just 'cause this is the first time we're meeting in person?"

She shrugged.

"Hmmm." Julian frowned and tapped his chin. "Oh! Do you want to visit the mabari breeder in Lowtown? She has new puppies!"

"Julian, I don't think you need to drag her through the city before she's had a chance to go home and rest," Dorian chided him lightly, but Theo put her hand on his arm. 

"I like puppies," she said with a small smile. "Maybe after I can change my clothes?"

Julian grinned. "Of course! I'll show you around town. Oh!! I need to introduce you to Miss Merrill! She'll love you! Are you a mage like Dad?"

Her eyes widened as Julian's volume gradually increased. "I don't know yet. Maybe?"

"Try to keep the introductions in one day limited, Julian," Dorian chided again. "We'll be here for a month." He looked down at her. "Unless you decide you'd rather stay here."

She grabbed his hand, looking betrayed. "You… don't want me to live with you?" she whispered, Dorian having to strain to hear her.

"No, no, no," he said quickly, kneeling next to her. "That's not what I mean at all. But if you want, you could stay here with Julian and Bern."

"I don't wanna!" Tears were beginning in her eyes, along with panic. "Don't leave me alone, Dorian!"

Curse his damned mouth. He squeezed both of her hands. "I would never leave you, Theo. I swear this to you. You can live with me until the day I die."

She sniffled, letting go of one hand to rub her nose. "Promise?"

"I promise." He kissed her forehead.

Julian hovered awkwardly behind Dorian's shoulder. "Hey, Theo, it's okay. Dad doesn't break promises. Baba doesn't either, but especially Dad. He's really stubborn."

Dorian chuckled. "Thank you for the ringing endorsement, Julian."

Bern approached them. "Hello, family. Did I miss something?" He raised an eyebrow at Dorian, his eyes darting to Theo's blotchy face. 

Dorian stood up, looking down at Theo, still holding one hand. "Nothing we couldn't work out, right?"

She smiled and shook her head.

Bern still looked concerned, but he put his arm around Dorian's free one. "Luggage is loaded up. Shall we go?"

Julian put his arm around Theo's, much to her surprise, but she didn't object. "Yeah, let's go!" he cried. "We gotta see the mabari lady before sundown!"

\-- 

After Theo washed up and changed, she and Julian went to Lowtown to see the mabari breeder. Dorian worried, but Bern assured him that the local guard knew to keep an eye on Julian as a favor to him and to the Viscount. It wasn't like there were many other qunari boys running around for him to be confused with.

Dorian still didn't quite feel comfortable letting them be so far out of sight, standing uncertainly by the door, looking out the window as the two of them disappeared around a corner. But warm fingers crept across his shoulder, reaching up to caress the hollow of his throat, drawing his head around to a warm, waiting mouth, and he decided there wasn't any harm in letting the children get to know each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo makes a new friend.

Theo tightened her grip on Julian's hand, running harder than she was used to to try and keep up with him. The city was tiered, and he pulled her down a long flight of stairs, away from the white marble and lovely trees of Hightown down to the high walls and smoky air of Lowtown. 

Peddlers and salespeople clustered against the walls of buildings, their voices merging into another wall made only of sound. Theo squeezed Julian's hand even tighter as he pulled her into an alleyway. "Almost there," he said, grinning over his shoulder. "The puppies are really cute!"

Dorian wouldn't have let her come if it were dangerous. She continued to follow.

Eventually the twisting alleyway ended and they were in a six-sided courtyard of sorts, with a single tree eking out a meager existence in the center, surrounded by a circle of slightly yellowed grass. A tired middle-aged woman sat on her stoop, watching over five or six floppy eared puppies as they ran around on wobbly limbs.

She looked up as Julian entered and smiled. "Well hello there, Ser Adaar," she said with a chuckle. Her voice was very Fereldan. "Just can't stay away, can you?"

"Nope!" Julian said happily. "And I brought my friend, Theo. Theo, this is Missus Alice."

Theo curtsied. "Pleasure to meet you."

"What a polite child you are. Feel free to play with the puppies as long as you like." She waved her hand on them, a few of them stopping to stare as it went past. Julian was already throwing a stick for several of them to chase, then fight over it when they'd reached it. 

Theo found one that was flopped onto its back, snuffling as it slept. She smiled and sat down beside it, gently scratching its soft white belly. It made a small sound and rolled around contentedly. She and the puppy passed time like that, until eventually the puppy crawled into her lap to nap properly.

She stroked its head until Julian plopped himself down in front of her, his legs crossed. "Hey, Theo. Having fun?"

She nodded, continuing to stroke the sleeping dog.

"It's getting late. Baba will be worrying soon."

With a sigh, she picked up the puppy and set it on the ground. It grumbled at the loss of warmth and yawned, looking at her like she'd betrayed it. 

Julian jumped to his feet, offering her a hand. "Ready?"

She nodded and took his hand, letting him help her up.

"Thanks Missus Alice!" Julian called.

She smiled as she waved. "See you soon, Julian." She waved at Theo too. "Take care, dear."

Theo gave her a small wave as she and Julian disappeared into the alleyway.

\-- 

The next day, she went to school. Julian was full of assurances that the teacher was really nice and the other kids were mostly fine. (He had some complaints about a girl named Susanna, but also assured her that Susanna was often not there. "Off getting into trouble," he'd said disapprovingly, as if he were a schoolteacher himself.)

Dorian had written a letter of introduction explaining her presence, which was tucked carefully into her bag. As he knelt in front of her, he kissed her forehead. "Have a good day. If it's too much, have Julian walk you home, okay?"

She nodded, chewing nervously on her lip. 

"Daaad, it'll be fine," Julian whined. "Missus Malley will probably just make her read and do sums by herself for most of the morning, and then she'll come and sit with my group. That's how she always handles new students."

Bern put his hand on Julian's head. "We're counting on you. Think you can handle it?"

Julian straightened his shoulders, face suddenly becoming serious. "Of course, Baba." He turned to Theo. "Come on! We don't wanna be late." He held out his hand.

She took it, glancing back at Bern and Dorian as the door began to fall closed. Bern was smiling, Dorian chuckling behind a hand. She got the impression it was pretty easy to get Julian to do things. She resolved to keep an eye on him around the other children.

It was a short walk to the school. It was one street over from the market, a big white house with lots of windows. Julian led her inside, waving at other children as he entered the classroom. Theo kept nervously to his side. She'd never been in a class with other students before. The others were eying her with curiosity. Aside from Julian, they were all human. They ranged in age. Some were probably younger than Theo, but some of the children looked way older, maybe as old as fourteen? She squinted uncertainly. She wasn't good at guessing people's ages.

"Well, who have you brought to school, Julian?" came a woman's voice from behind them. Theo turned and looked up at the thin lady with a face full of freckles and wispy orange-blond hair. 

"This is Theo! She's Dad's little cousin."

"I… have a letter," Theo said quietly, taking it out and giving it to the lady. Missus Malley she assumed.

The woman read the letter and put it on the big teacher's desk with a nod. "Okay, little Miss Theo. Let me get the other children started on their lessons for the day and we'll see where you are, okay?"

Theo nodded and Missus Malley walked around and put the students into groups and assigned them work, before waving Theo over to the big desk and offering her a seat. She set a well-worn copy of the Chant on the desk. "Let's get started with your reading, okay?"

Theo tilted her head. "I can already read."

"Show me." She opened the book and pointed at a line. 

Theo had never read the South's Chant before. She began to read. "In heart's drumming I heard footsteps thund'ring/Shield-brothers and spear-sisters distant raised/Blade to shackle-bearer, valiant of spirit/Blazing like star-shine, to battle they charged./None to return to the lands of their mothers/By cruel magic taken, ice, lightning, and flame." She frowned. "The 'cruel magic' is the Tevinters, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

Missus Malley had the decency to look ashamed. "Yes, that's right." She flipped through the book for a different passage. "Here." She pointed to a new line.

"Then in the center of heaven/He called forth/A city with towers of gold,/streets with music for cobblestones,/And banners which flew without wind./There, He dwelled, waiting/To see the wonders/His children would create."

Missus Malley nodded. "Very good. You are an excellent reader for your age." She smiled and closed the book. "How's your arithmetic?"

Theo shrugged. "I like numbers," she said. "They make sense."

Missus Malley smiled and had her begin with sums. 

\--

Julian had been right. Most of the day was her doing things for Missus Malley to assess. At the end of the day, she looked over Theo's work and smiled at her. "You are an excellent student. While you're here, you'll work with Juliana, Francis, and Mona, okay?" Missus Malley pointed at a group of three older students. The two girls gave her kind smiles and the boy nodded seriously. 

Theo swallowed. "Could… Could I work with Julian instead?"

Missus Malley patted her head. "You won't learn anything new in his group. You're a bit ahead of him. I promise the others will be kind to you, and you can visit with Julian during breaks, okay?"

Theo bit her lip, but she nodded.

Julian, who was waiting for her at the door, held out his hand for her to take. She smiled and did so. The sun was warm as they walked along the streets of Hightown, clasped hands swinging between them. She was nervous about working with the older students, but as long as Julian was there, she felt confident that everything would be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo makes a friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you've read the new chapter 3! (I accidentally skipped it when posting before. Here's another new chapter to make up for it.)

Over the next few weeks, she met many people. 

First was Miss Merrill, the pretty elf lady with the face tattoos. She had described the process of getting them, which had made Theo wince in sympathetic pain. Her magic was strange, so different from Dorian's and her parents'. She wondered how many kinds of magic there were in the world, and if she'd one day be able to learn them all (if her magic came one day).

And there was Lord Varric. He was a friendly dwarf man, funnier than the stodgy, beardy ones who'd sometimes come to her parents' house. "But you're a _Vis_ count," Theo said, confused. "There should be counts? And a king?"

Lord Varric laughed. "Marchers don't do titles properly. Don't think about it too much. Starkhaven's highest rank is Prince."

"Speaking of Vael, has he caused any more trouble?" Dorian asked from the couch.

"Who, that choir boy? Nothing our implacable Guard Captain and I can't handle." He looked over toward Julian, who was laying on the floor, reading a thick book. "What are you up to over there, Sunshine?"

"Schoolwork," Julian said seriously, turning a page. "I can't let Theo _stay_ better at school than me. I'm older!"

The adults all chuckled. "Do you have a nickname for _everybody_ , Lord Varric?" Theo asked.

He stroked his chin. "Well, not _everybody_. But my friends, yeah."

"What are you going to call me?" she asked shyly. "If we're friends now…" 

Lord Varric hummed thoughtfully. "That depends. What do you like to do, Miss Theo?"

She took her hoop out of the sewing basket and showed him the sampler she was working on. "I like embroidery…"

He was looking it over with an appraising eye. "You're pretty good!" He smiled as he handed it back. "Those are very neat and quite small."

She flushed with pleasure. "Thank you, Lord Varric." 

"I think you're a Stitches," he said, crossing his arms and winking at Bern and Dorian. 

"Stitches?" She contemplated it, looking down at her embroidery. Then she nodded, a small smile growing on her face. "Stitches."

\-- 

Theo got used to school and to Kirkwall. In school, the older kids were a little distant at first, but they were getting along okay now, Mona especially. But Julian was still the best. They always ate lunch together and walked home together. Sometimes they visited the mabari breeder or Miss Merrill's house, or else walked around the market in Hightown. The merchants knew Julian, and often gave him little snacks, which meant Theo got them too. 

She had expected to not like Kirkwall, especially the way Dorian had complained about it, but it was growing on her. It was strange to walk around the city and not see slaves. She'd never really noticed how common they were in Tevinter, until she came to a place where there were none. An elf woman ran the bakery at the bottom of the great staircase, and she always gave Theo and Julian day-old rolls and pastries when they passed through, and she saw plenty of elves working on the docks, alongside the humans of Lowtown.

The humans were not _kind_ to elves certainly, but they didn't treat them as objects either—things to be ignored until they were needed. However, Theo would've had to be blind and deaf to not notice the way some of the people talked about Tevinter, and about Dorian, since he was married to Bern—still a prominent figure, as much as he insisted he was retired from Inquisition business.

Starkhaven was the usual target of complaint, but the Tevinter magisters and their appalling behavior abroad and their uselessness against the Qunari incursions were not often far behind. When Julian and Theo passed by those conversations, hand in hand, they could both feel the judgmental eyes fall upon them. 

More than once, Julian had stopped to stare them down, horns tilted forward, violet eyes blazing against the darkness of his skin. 

The gossipers had never challenged him, possibly afraid of incurring wrath of his father.

But despite the problems, living with Bern and Julian was… just really nice. 

Most of the time. One rainy weekend, when Dorian and Bern were out at some sort of meeting, Julian came into Theo's bedroom, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Hey, are you busy?"

She looked up from her embroidery. "Not really. Why?"

Julian grinned. "Wanna see the secret room? Baba thinks I don't know about it. I haven't been inside before, and since Baba and Dad are out…" His grin widened.

"A secret room?" That was really exciting! Theo put her hoop back in the basket and hopped off her couch. "Let's go!"

"Shhhh." He put a finger to his lips. "Mister Frederick can't know. He'll tell Baba." Frederick was the housekeeper, a portly man with a very fluffy mustache. 

Theo nodded quickly. "Where is it?" she whispered.

"The library. C'mon. Mister Frederick's in the kitchen, so he shouldn't notice us." They crept through the hall and down the stairs, quickly crossing the foyer into the library. Julian waved her over and stood on tip-toe to reach inside a box. He fiddled around inside until, with a soft click, the bookshelf unlatched from the wall. 

The two of them pulled the door the rest of the way open and stepped into the dark staircase. Using the strap nailed into the door, Julian pulled it quietly shut behind them. They looked at each other in the dark, suppressing excited giggles.

Julian pointed down the stairs and they crept down, hands braced on the wall. The only light came from the bottom of the stairs, flickering torchlight from around the corner. Neither of them knew what to expect when they reached the bottom of the stairs, but they hadn't expected to find a glowing elf with a sword pointed at them.

Julian jumped in front of Theo, his arms spread wide even as they trembled.

The elf looked at the two of them for a long moment, then relaxed his stance and stood straight, sliding the sword into its sheath. The blue glow faded to nothing. "And just what are two children doing down here?" he asked in a deep, smooth voice. 

Julian lowered his arms, but Theo stayed well behind him, looking at the elf warily. His accent was familiar.

"E-exploring," Julian stammered.

" _Avanna_ ," Theo murmured.

The elf fixed his gaze on her. She tried to shrink, regretting speaking. " _Avanna_ ," he said after a moment, his eyes narrowed. "I know you—" He pointed at Julian. "—are Adaar's kid. But who are you?" The finger shifted to Theo.

"Dorian's cousin," she mumbled into Julian's shoulder. 

The elf made a small noise of disinterest. "I see." He sat down at the table in the center of the small room, going back to whatever it was he'd been doing. 

"Are you from Tevinter?" Theo asked. 

The elf sighed in irritation and looked up from the papers. "Yes."

"Do you… like it?" 

Julian looked back at her in confusion, but Theo continued.

"A lot of people here… think Tevinter is bad. Do you?"

The elf looked angry for a second, but then he sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. "The food's better there, certainly. And there are some decent people. But the practice of slavery has perverted any real goodness that could flourish."

Theo looked down. "I always liked my family's slaves more than my family," she mumbled.

He snorted. "As well you should. You're a magister's kid, aren't you? Magisters are the worst of all."

She frowned and straightened up. "Dorian's not!" she declared. "Dorian and his friends are doing good things. They want Tevinter to be good!"

The elf rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to argue with a child about this."

"Yeah, Dad's good!" Julian piped up. "And Miss Mae is too!"

"I'll believe it when I see it. But until then, I'm going to keep helping slaves escape and keep slavers from taking new ones. Is that _fair_?" 

Theo blinked. "You help people escape? Could you help my friend?"

The elf turned, raising an eyebrow. He was suddenly paying very close attention. 

"I… She…" Theo looked at Julian, who was watching, mystified. "Julian, can you go upstairs, please please please? I'll be up really fast, okay?"

His eyebrows knit together tightly, his lips pursed as he looked between Theo and the elf. 

" _Please_?" she asked desperately. She didn't want Julian to know she let a murderer escape. She didn't want to have to lose his friendship. 

Slowly, Julian started back up the stairs. Theo stood in silence until she saw the light from the library disappear, blocked by the closed door. Theo licked her lips. "My friend… She killed my parents. And I wanted her to. I-I didn't _ask_ her to, but when I figured out what she'd done, I wasn't sad about it. She saved me. And I… I want her to be safe too. Can you help?"

The elf looked at her for a long, long moment. Sweat prickled on Theo's neck. Then, he spoke. "Tell me her name and description. I cannot make any promises, but I will try."

She smiled and clasped her hands. "Thank you!" She told him as much as she could about her, about her dark hair and her kind smile and her gentle hands. As she spoke, he made notes on the back of his paper, his letters slow and deliberate, but neat. "Can you really help her?" she asked breathlessly as she finished.

"I cannot promise," he said again. "But I will do all I am able." He tapped his pen on the table thoughtfully, looking at his notes before meeting Theo's eyes. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Theo." She hesitated. "Well, Theodora Selixus."

The elf's lip curled. "Ugh, Selixus _bred_? You poor thing." After saying this, he seemed to regret his words, lips thinning. "My apologizes. That was unkind."

Theo shook her head, looking down at her slippers. "No, my father was not a nice man. I… hope I don't become like him." She frowned, curling her toes. "What is your name, by the way?" she asked, looking back at the elf. 

"You can call me Fenris." For the first time, he looked almost kind.

She smiled. "Pleasure to meet you. And thank you, for helping my friend."

He shook his head and stood up. "I haven't helped her yet. Thank me when I do. Now, it's time you went back upstairs. The little Adaar is probably quite anxious." He walked to one of the doors leading out of the room.

"Fenris?" she said as his hand touched the handle. 

He only half-turned. "Yes?"

"Dorian really is good. I… know you might not believe me. But he is."

Fenris looked at the door. "I believe that you believe so. I remain unconvinced until I see evidence to the contrary." The door opened and shut, and he was gone.

Theo went back upstairs and was immediately accosted by Julian, demanding details. "I just wanted to talk to him about Tevinter stuff," she said, trying to wave him off. "You wouldn't understand, Julian, you never lived there."

Julian frowned mightily. "You're keeping secrets," he accused, holding his frown for a few more seconds, then he sighed. "You better tell me someday, okay?"

She smiled. "You're like Dorian," she said.

"Well, yeah, he's my _dad_." Julian rolled his eyes.

Theo sat down in one of the big leather chairs, kicking her feet. "What's it like, having good parents?" she asked.

Julian frowned again. "Your parents were bad?" He sat in the chair next to her. 

She nodded, looking once again at her slippers as they came in and out of view. 

"What it's like having good parents…" Julian repeated thoughtfully. "I mean, I guess it's nice? I know that if something happens, Baba and Dad would do something about it. And I can talk to them about stuff if I want to, but they let me have secrets too."

"What kinds of secrets?" Theo asked, turning her gaze on him.

"Like… how I think Baba lied when he said my mother was dead." Julian scratched at the base of his horns. "He had this really sad, pitying look on his face when I asked him about her. But… I dunno if I feel better or worse, thinking she's alive."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if she's dead, then obviously she couldn't keep me, you know?" Julian slumped in the chair, sliding forward until his feet touched the rug. "But if she's alive, that means she didn't _want_ me."

"Oh." Theo didn't know what to say.

"I mean, Baba and Dad are great. I wish Dad was around more, but I know he's got important stuff to do. It's nice when he's here though. Baba's happier and it's nice having a full dinner table." He smiled at Theo. "It's been even nicer having another kid around, you know? Someone to do things with, like explore the secret room."

Theo smiled back. "Yeah. I like it here." She pulled her legs up and crossed her arms on the armrest, tucking her chin into them. "I wish Bern and Dorian were my parents."

"I mean, they could be." Julian sat up and crossed his legs on the chair, wiggling his stockinged toes. "Your other parents are dead, and Dad is your guardian anyway, right? You'd just switch from calling them by name to calling them Baba and Dad. Or something else, if you want." He grinned. "I bet if you called Dad 'Dad' he'd cry."

"Really?" She'd never seen Dorian cry. She was doubtful.

"Oh yeah. He'd pretend he wasn't, but his eyes would definitely get all glassy. Bet you Baba cries too."

She thought about it. "Oh yeah? How much of a bet?" 

"I bet you my dessert tonight. It's probably something tasty from the bakery since Baba and Dad are gonna be out 'til dinnertime."

"Oh, I couldn't take _all_ of your dessert. Just bet me half. And I'll bet you half of mine." She held out her hand to shake.

"You have a deal. If you call Dad 'Dad' and he cries, I get half your dessert." Julian gripped her hand tightly, pumping it up and down exactly three times before letting go. He paused, thinking. "I know it's still raining, but wanna go hunt frogs in the creek?"

Theo grinned. "Let me go change my clothes."

\-- 

When Dorian and Bern returned, they came back to two obscenely muddy children. Dorian kept the pie he was holding far away from them while Bern muffled laughter with his palm. "You cannot even _look_ at this until you both take a bath. Right now. I'm hungry, and we'll have to wait on dinner until you're clean."

"Yeees, Daaaad," Julian whined.

"Okay, Dad," Theo said.

Dorian stopped dead in his tracks, halfway through taking off his coat. "What did you call me?" he asked weakly.

Julian's laughter shattered the moment. " _Told_ you he'd cry! Half your pie is mine!"

Dorian looked torn between hurt and angry. He rubbed at his eyes with one hand.

Theo smiled at him. "Don't worry. I meant it. If… it's okay, that I did." 

"Oh." His eyes had gone glassy again.

"I'd hug you, but…" She held up muddy arms. 

He nodded. "Right. Go bathe. Dinner will be ready when you're done. And Theo?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm honored to be your dad."

She grinned and ran upstairs. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian goes back to Tevinter.

The time to return to Tevinter came too quickly. Theo finished setting her underclothes in her trunk, on top of her spare dresses and her books, and closed the lid, staring at it sadly. Julian appeared in the doorway in his blue and green nightshirt, a morose expression on his face. "Are you _sure_ you gotta go?" he asked.

Theo honestly didn't know. She rested her hand on the trunk. "Dad's leaving tomorrow. It's not like I can travel by myself."

"Yeah but… you could stay, if you wanted."

Theo looked at him, taking in his messy white hair, his baby-round horns, and pleading violet eyes. She thought about her classmates, and the mabari breeder in Lowtown. She thought about Miss Merrill and Lord Varric and the mysterious Fenris, who was trying to help her dear friend. 

Despite her first impressions, she _liked_ living in Kirkwall. But mostly she liked living with her family. Her new family. 

"Let me talk to Dad," she said.

Julian's expression brightened significantly. "Sure!" He scampered off down the hallway, leaving Theo shaking her head, but smiling.

She went downstairs to the sitting room, where Dorian and Bern, no Dad and Baba, were sitting on the couch, their noses almost touching, talking in quiet voices. Baba saw her first and sat back, smiling at her. "Hello, Theo." He offered her his hand. She took it, smiling as he lifted her easily up onto his knee, the one next to Dad. But she didn't feel happy for long.

"Is something wrong, dulcia?" Dad asked, stroking her hair.

She searched for the right words. They let her think, not interrupting. "Do we _have_ to leave tomorrow?" she said at last.

He gave her a sad smile, his hand tracing down to cup her cheek. "I'm afraid so, Theo. Traveling schedules can be quite strict when you have to travel as far as we do."

She wanted to be petulant, to whine and complain, but she thought about what she'd told Fenris. Dad was working to make Tevinter better, and that was very important work. Work he couldn't do here in Kirkwall. She sniffed. "I don't want to go," she said in her quietest voice.

"Oh, dulcia…" He opened his arms and Theo scooted forward to hug him tightly. "I know. I know." He held her close, rocking gently. "Do you remember what I told you when we arrived?" he asked in a soft voice. "You have the choice to stay."

She turned her head, resting it on his shoulder. "But I'll miss you."

"We can talk everyday." He rubbed her back. "Just like we used to talk to Bern and Julian everyday."

"It's not the same!" she whined, biting her lip.

Baba spoke up from behind her. "It isn't, I know. But Julian and I would be glad to help keep the loneliness at bay."

Dorian chuckled a little sadly, stroking Theo's hair. "Regardless of what you decide, Theo, we all love you, remember that." 

Theo pulled away, looking back at Baba, who smiled at her. Experimentally, she scooted back toward him, and put her arms around his neck. He smiled against her head, hugging her with his one, strong arm. He was warm and smelled nice, but… "Dad gives better hugs," she mumbled.

Baba laughed, bouncing her around with the force of it. She found herself smiling too. She let go and slid down to his lap, deep in thought.

Dad pressed his lips to the side of her head. "Decide by tomorrow morning, okay? Now, your baba and I have things to discuss, so go back to bed. Morning will come quicker than you think."

So Theo took herself back to bed, looking back as she left the sitting room. The two of them were back to speaking in low, sad voices, their fingers entwined. Theo frowned, suddenly feeling like she was intruding, so she left quickly, focusing on the choice she had to make.

Sleep came and went that night. More than once, she found herself staring blankly at the canopy on her bed, watching the muted colors and shadows of the night ebb and flow like water. She liked Kirkwall, but she liked Tevinter too. 

Still… Tevinter held bad memories, and besides Dad and Melina, there was no one there she really knew anymore. Her tutors had been either unmemorable or cruel, the slaves had scattered to the wind after the fire (including her friend), and she didn't really know any of Dad's friends well enough to miss them.

Julian and Baba however, along with everyone else she had met in Kirkwall? They would be missed.

She bit her lip, pulling at loose skin. She didn't want to leave Dad alone… but he wasn't really alone, was he? He knew people there, had friends. While he was happier in Kirkwall, he wasn't _un_ happy in Tevinter the way Theo had been. At least as far as she knew.

Decision made, Theo rolled over and hugged a pillow to her chest, drifting back to sleep.

\-- 

Morning did come sooner than she'd expected. Before dawn, Dad came into the room and pulled her bedcurtains aside. Theo awoke with a start, a cold sweat breaking out as she looked up to a dark, man-shaped silhouette over her in the dark. 

It took a few moments of heart-pounding fear for her to remember that _he_ was dead and she was safe. Dad didn't touch her, letting her manage her fright as best she could before sitting up. 

"I'm sorry, dulcia," Dad said, sitting down on the bed beside her.

Theo shook her head, embarrassed by how quickly her heart was still beating. 

"So, will you be coming with me?" He looked over at her still-packed trunk. 

Theo looked down at her hands, where they gripped the sheets. "No, I want to stay here," she said quietly, feeling guilty, like she was abandoning him.

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Very well. Then I'll talk to you and everyone else tonight when I stop for the evening, and I'll see you in a short six months."

Theo sniffed and untangled herself from the bedding to hug him. "I'm sorry," she said.

He chuckled as he hugged her back. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'll miss you, of course, but believe you me, if I could stay, I would." He patted her back. "And when I can, I will."

"What if I get my magic when you're gone?" In Tevinter, that day was a celebratory day, with a big party and wonderful food; a day of changing from child to adult. But here, where magic was something to be feared… She hugged him tighter. 

"Then I'll make sure your baba knows you need a party."

"Will I have to go to a Circle?" She didn't know much about Southern Circles, just that they were supposed to be terrifying, barbarous places, where mages were tortured and told they were sins in the Maker's eyes. She couldn't live like that.

"You can decide," Dad said, stroking her hair. "If you want, I can make sure you go to a Circle in Tevinter." He leaned back, smiling at her. "If you study in Minrathous, Rilienus would be one of your teachers, someday. Probably not when you first begin your studies."

"Does he teach better than he writes?" she asked.

Dad laughed hard enough that Theo wondered if Julian had been woken up next door. "I honestly have no idea. You'll have to let me know." He hugged her again, squeezing tightly. "I'll miss you, Theo. But I'm glad you've decided to call this place home."

"Me too. Thank you for sharing your family with me."

"They're your family too, Theo, not just mine."

She smiled against his shoulder. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Dad. I'll miss you. Travel safely."

With one final squeeze, he released her. "I'll miss you too, dulcia. Stay safe, and take care of your brother."

"I will, I promise." 

He kissed her forehead and left the room, closing the door with a soft click. From next door, he could hear the low burble of his voice as he said goodbye to Julian. With a yawn, Theo lay down and fell back asleep, just for a little while longer.

\-- 

Once Theo found a rhythm, time slipped comfortably by. School, while not always fun, at least filled time, and she enjoyed learning overall. Kirkwall had an interesting history, starting as a Tevinter city, then an Orlesian one, before they broke away and became independant. And _that_ was why Viscount was the highest title in the city.

Her birthday was a quiet affair, which is what she wanted. Miss Merrill and a few more of Baba's friends, as well as some of her classmates, came over and they had a big dinner, with a delicate Orlesian-style cake to finish.

Baba gave her two new dresses, in Kirkwaller style, and Julian had picked her a bouquet of flowers, which she used to decorate her room until they were long dried out. She still kept some of the petals in her dresser.

Dad's gift had come late, but it was a gorgeous hairpin, decorated with pale pink ceramic flowers—matching her new dresses perfectly. She wore it as often as she could, admiring the way it brightened her dark hair.

And a few months later, Julian's birthday. His was a raucous party—most everyone from school was invited and quite a few of their parents as well. Baba was a terrific host, and when Lord Varric showed up as a surprise guest, along with an enormous qunari with handlebar horns, the party got a little out of hand.

The huge qunari introduced himself as the Iron Bull, and had brought Julian a sword, light and swift, but sharp. "I know you're teaching him to fight," he said to Baba, matter-of-factly.

"Enough to defend himself, yes," Baba answered, but his face was a bit sour. "But I would rather he not make a life out of it."

"Why not?" Julian asked. "You did, didn't you, Baba?"

Baba sighed, agitated. "Yes, I was, but it's _dangerous_. And you will have other choices." He rubbed his eyes and then Julian's head. "If it's what you want to do, I know I couldn't stop you, but just know it is not what I want for you."

Julian frowned, looking down at his new sword. 

The Iron Bull put his huge hand on Julian's head. "Want me to show you some moves, kid?"

That got Julian's face to light up and he quickly followed him out to the courtyard. Theo approached Baba, whose expression was still complicated. "What's wrong, Baba?" she asked, reaching up to hold his hand. 

"Nothing, Theo." He swung their hands a bit. "I'm wondering how my own parents ever let me run off to go fight people for a living." He smiled down at her. "Just feeling a little overprotective. I can hardly believe it's been ten years since I adopted him."

"Why did you? If it's okay to ask?" 

"Because he had nowhere to go, and I couldn't stand to see him hurt, even then." He smiled. "I feel the same way about you too, you know."

She smiled and leaned against his arm. "Yeah. Me too. You and Dad and Julian. I want you all to be safe."

With a squeeze of her hand in his, Baba led her to the window to watch Julian and the Iron Bull. 

"I didn't know qunari could _get_ so big," she said, wonderingly. Julian, who was almost at Baba's elbow, was barely up to the Iron Bull's hip.

Baba chuckled. "Yeah, he's very tall."

"Do you think Julian will be a mercenary?"

The window creaked as Baba leaned his stump against the upper frame. "I don't know. He's young, so of course he _wants_ to be right now. But I hope I can dissuade him. Fighting is no joke. Mercenaries _make_ a joke of it, of course. Because laughing at it makes it easier."

Theo watched the Iron Bull guide Julian's arm through a swing, his scarred lips moving as he explained something about it. "Does that work for everything? Laughing at it?"

"It works for some people, not for others. Some things are hard to find funny. But if you can manage it? Yes, it helps."

The only thing she could think was sort of funny about her father was that he'd once fallen out of the bed when he finished, too drunk to properly move from kneeling to standing. But she didn't think other people would find it very funny. She didn't either, especially not at the time.

Baba squeezed her hand. "If you can't, that's okay too." He nodded his head toward the Iron Bull. "He makes a joke seemingly out of everything, but even he has stories he cannot find humor in. But time helps, and distance."

Theo was tired of _waiting_. Things were better, but her sleep was still often troubled and contact still sometimes frightened her, even if it was from Baba or Dad. They were good about waiting for her to initiate it though. 

They were good people. She could trust them. 

She let go of Baba's hand so she could hug him around the middle, her arms too short to loop all the way around his broad torso. _You help too,_ she wanted to say, but the words stuck in her throat.

But Baba's warm hand on her head said everything she needed to hear. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old friend returns and new relationships are established.

A few months after that, a visitor Baba wasn't expecting arrived at the house. Theo was in the sitting room, working on a cross-stitch for Dad's birthday, when she heard the knock at the door and the surprise in Baba's voice. "Fenris? What brings you here?"

Theo shot up and scurried toward the foyer, watching from behind a wall. "I'm here to see your magister's cousin," he said, his eyes quickly falling onto her as he scanned the room. 

Baba frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but Theo emerged from her hiding place, reaching out to hold Baba's hand. "Do you have news about my friend?" she asked.

He nodded. "She's living in the alienage. You can ask Merrill about her."

Theo's heart pounded with excitement. "Is she okay?"

Fenris nodded and she swore she saw him smile a little. "As much as can be expected. She was very glad to hear about you."

The grin on her face almost made her cheeks hurt. "Thank you, Fenris! Thank you so much!"

He nodded to her and Baba, then walked away. He closed the door and looked very seriously at Theo. "How did you two meet?"

Theo shrank a bit under his gaze. "The market…" she said, eyes sliding away from his face.

Baba raised an eyebrow. "Mmhm?" He didn't believe her.

With shame, Theo ducked her head. "In the secret room a few months ago."

Baba sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let me guess, Julian knows about it too."

"Yeah…" She held her hands behind her back. "I'm sorry, Baba."

He patted her head. "It's okay. Just… don't go through the doors inside, okay? It's very, very easy to get lost and it would take us a long time to find you."

"Yes, Baba."

He tilted her chin up. "So, I take it you want to go see your friend."

"Please!" She grabbed his hand. "Please please please!"

"Go ahead. Be back by dinner."

And she sped out the door as fast as her legs could carry her.

\-- 

It wasn't until she arrived that she realized this would be her first time in the alienage alone. The houses were ramshackle, not quite upright but leaning into one another. Colorful dyed cloths hung up around the buildings, marking different dwellings. The large tree—Miss Merrill called it the _vhenadahl_ , Theo thought—was painted red and white around the base. The letters were Elvhen she thought, but they resembled Ancient Tevene. 

Miss Merrill's house was near the tree, under a dark green banner. She quickly jogged over to the door and knocked. Miss Merrill was happy to see her. "Well, if it isn't little Theo! Fenris told me you'd be by, but I didn't think you'd come so fast!" Miss Merrill ushered her backward, closing the door behind her. "Your friend is at Miss Nella's house. I'll take you."

Miss Nella's house was one of the larger ones in the alienage, with actual plants growing outside around the doorframe. Miss Merrill did a complex series of knocks on the door and got two long knocks in return before the door swung open. The woman who answered was old and stooped, with long grey hair held back loosely from her face. Her brown eyes narrowed at Theo.

"This is the girl Fenris mentioned," Miss Merrill said cheerfully. 

The woman relaxed and let them inside. Her home was much the same as Miss Merrill's, though there were more wall decorations—woven and painted baskets, delicately folded bamboo fans, and a painted portrait of a young man. 

And there, sitting on a sleeping mat on floor, her legs curled under her, her thick black hair pulled into a long plait over her shoulder, was Theo's dear friend, smiling at her. 

"Cleo!" Theo ran over and hugged her tightly, dropping onto the mat beside her to sit. "I'm so happy you're safe! Were you hurt at all?" She pulled back, looking closely into Cleo's face for signs of distress or injury, but she looked the same as ever, right down to the freckles on her chin and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm fine, Miss Theo," she said warmly, pulling her into another hug. "I planned what I did well, and I went to a safe house in Antiva. I'd heard of a beacon that led slaves to freedom." She chuckled. "I admit I never expected that beacon to be an actual glowing elf." She cupped Theo's cheeks. "Now, tell me, how did you end up in Kirkwall? Who are you living with, if not the Lady Thalrassian?"

So Theo told her everything. Lady Thalrassian turning her away, mumbling about ungrateful children as she sipped wine from a dark glass bottle. Going to the Magisterium and meeting the man who'd become her dad. About his magic crystal and his qunari husband and son. 

As she spoke, Cleo braided her hair, like she'd often done when she and Theo spoke—a pretense Cleo had often called it. More than once, she'd worked on Theo's hair long into the night, until her father got frustrated and went to bed. He'd tried to hide his… activities from the slaves, for fear they'd gossip in the markets. Cleo had helped Theo take advantage of that, even if the idea that he'd truly kept it a secret was laughable, particularly from those who took care of Theo. 

Theo finished her tale and Cleo tied off the braid. "It sounds like you've found yourself a good family, Miss Theo. I'm glad." Cleo tucked a stray bit of hair that had escaped behind her ear. 

"You don't have to call me 'Miss' anymore, Cleo," Theo said seriously. "You're free now and you're older than me. Really, _I_ should call _you_ 'Miss'." 

Cleo blinked in surprise. "You're right. I guess you should. I admit, it will take some getting used to."

Theo rested her head on her shoulder. "You deserve it, Miss Cleo. You _saved_ me. You… you loved me when nobody else did. I love you, Miss Cleo." She sniffled, her chin trembling. "I hate that people in Kirkwall will probably still be mean to you because you're an elf, but it's… better than Tevinter." It hurt her heart to admit it, but it was true. "I hope Dad can make it better, but…" 

Miss Cleo stroked her hair gently. "I don't know if Tevinter can change, but it sounds like your dad is trying his best."

"Will people chase you? Are you safe?" Theo curled her fingers around Miss Cleo's, holding tightly. 

"The City Guard keeps out slavers as best they can." Miss Merrill spoke up from where she was sitting with Miss Nella in the kitchen. "And Fenris takes care of those that slip through when he's here. I also keep people safe." Her eyes gleamed. "I don't glow like him, but that doesn't mean I can't protect this alienage." For a moment, she looked sad. "It's what Hawke wanted." 

For a long moment, Theo felt like she didn't belong here, like she'd done something wrong. But Miss Cleo patted her arm. "Do you want to hear about my journey here?" she asked.

Theo perked up immediately and looked up at her. "Please."

So Miss Cleo told her. 

It wasn't until the sun began to glow reddish in the window that Theo remembered she had to be home by dinner. She jumped up. "I need to go home, but can I visit again? Do you want to meet Julian?"

Miss Cleo smiled. "I'd love to meet him. But go quickly, you don't want be late."

Theo lingered the doorway, still not quite believing Miss Cleo was alive and safe and well and _here_. "I'll see you soon."

"Go!" Miss Cleo laughed, waving her away. 

 

\-- 

Theo was going to tell Julian about everything.

Well, not _everything_. But about the fire. And about Miss Cleo. 

Her hand hung in front of his door. She was going to do it.

The door opened before she could knock. Julian jumped when he saw her. "Theo! What is it? Is something wrong?"

Caught off guard, her carefully considered words flew out of her head. "Uh. Can we… take a walk? I want to talk to you."

"Yeah of course. Is everything okay?" He addressed her over his shoulder as he pulled on a sweater and hunted down his shoes.

"Yeah. But you wanted to know what I talked about with Fenris, so…"

Julian grinned. "Then let's take a walk!"

The air was cold, but bits of green were beginning to appear on the trees, heralding the coming of spring. Theo stuck her hands deep into the pockets of her coat, staring up at the grey sky. 

"So…" Julian said after a few minutes. "What did you want to tell me?"

Theo walked toward the great staircase. "I told you my parents were not… good people. Cruel to me, and to others." The bustle of Lowtown somehow helped to soothe her anxiety. "So, one of the family's slaves came up with a plan, to kill them. She didn't tell me, of course. Just, on the day, she took me to the market for a long time, and when we returned, the manor was in flames."

Julian didn't say anything. She avoided looking at him.

"I never told anyone what she did; I was grateful. So, that day, I asked Fenris to help her, if he could. And… he did. She lives here in Kirkwall now." They'd arrived at the tall iron gates into the alienage. "Would you like to meet her?"

"Yeah, of course." Julian took her hand. "Why didn't you wanna tell me?"

Theo finally looked at him. "I guess I was afraid you'd hate me."

He snorted. "You're my _sister_. I have to love you, at least that's what Baba says." He grinned jokingly. 

Theo chuckled and knocked their shoulders together. "I guess I gotta love you too, since you're my brother."

"Yup. We're stuck together. Poor us."

Theo copied Miss Merrill's knock on Miss Nella's door and waited for the response. After it came, Miss Cleo opened the door, smiling when she saw Theo. "This must be Julian!" she said brightly. "Please, come inside." 

Theo helped her arrange cushions on the floor for them all to sit. 

"It's so nice to meet you, Julian. Theo's told me quite a bit about you."

"Good stuff, I hope!" He laughed as he sat down, cross-legged. 

"Mostly." Miss Cleo's eyes twinkled. 

They passed the rest of the afternoon in conversation. When they left, after bidding Miss Cleo a warm goodbye, Julian nudged Theo's shoulder. "So, she's basically your mom, huh?"

Theo blinked. "What?"

"Well, she raised you, and protected you, and saved you, right? And you love each other a lot. Plus, you even kind of act like her. So… How is she _not_ your mom?"

Theo felt something in her heart just… relax. That was right. She didn't need to attach herself to her parents and her blood. She had her _real_ parents now, and they would never hurt her like her blood relatives had. 

And she had her brother too. She hugged Julian tightly. "Thank you."

He hugged her back. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as things began to settle down, change happens again.

The next time Dad visited, after having a big lunch together as a family, Julian took Theo by the hand and led her outside. "Baba gets soooo gross when Dad comes home," he explained, scrunching his nose. "Let's give them a little while."

Theo laughed. "I don't think they're gross. I like having parents who like each other."

Julian rolled his eyes. "See, you say that _now_ , but when Dad starts with the Tevinter nicknames it gets weird. Trust me. It's better to go spend a few hours hunting for bird nests."

So that's what they did. The season was beginning to feel like summer, and all around Hightown, roses were in bloom. "They're so pretty," Theo said, admiring the white and pink roses growing at the bottom of the tree Julian was currently scaling.

The tree was fairly young, still small enough that Theo could hug it, its branches creaking as Julian stepped on them. Theo frowned at it, but he'd climbed a lot of trees before. Surely Julian had a better sense than her of which trees were good for it.

His head popped out of the leaves. "There's a nest up here! Come and look before the mama bird comes back!" 

Excited now, Theo began to pick her way carefully through the roses to the thickest, lowest branch. Julian was waving down at her from the upper levels. But as she took hold and began to pull herself up, there was an ominous _crack_.

At first she thought it was her branch, and she immediately dropped back down, but when she looked up, Julian was clinging tightly to some slender branches, his footing suddenly quite precarious indeed.

Theo stumbled back to give him space. Thorns tugged at her skirt. "Come back down! Quickly!"

"Y-yeah." Even in shadow, Theo could see his face had gone pale. Carefully, he edged his feet along the cracked branch, trying to get over to another thick branch a little bit below it. Theo could feel her heart in throat as she watched. "N-no problem." 

He inched out, letting go with one hand to reach for a different branch over the one he was aiming for. His footing groaned but didn't break as he quickly grabbed his new hand hold. He took a deep breath. "Almost there," he mumbled to himself. "Just gotta…" He began to drop one leg down to the new footing. 

Theo bit her knuckle. "You got this, Julian," she whispered. 

The branch gave way.

" _No!_ " Theo screamed and she threw her arms in front of her, like maybe she could catch him. Instead however, she felt something inside her _move_ , like her fingers were expanding beyond her skin, stretching outward. These new fingers could move the _world_ to their bidding. 

Using them, she caught Julian as he toppled out of the tree, stopping him before he hit the rosebushes.

There was long moment as they stared at each other in shock, as Julian hung suspended in mid-air, encased in soft greenish light.

"Theo you did ma—" 

She gasped and her new fingers vanished, leaving Julian to fall the remaining few feet into the roses. He groaned.

"Oh, Maker's breath, Julian!" Theo rushed forward, helping him climb out, ripping up her dress sleeves and a bit of her arms in the process. 

Julian hissed as he came free, slapping his hand to his face as blood dripped out from beneath his palm. "Ow…" His voice was nasally.

Theo took his arm. "Come on, let's get you home so Baba can make sure you're okay."

When they came home, Theo didn't see Baba and Dad anywhere. "Dad?! Baba?! Julian's hurt!"

There was thumping and banging around upstairs, and Dad came down first, his hair a mess, clothed in only his dressing gown. "Vishante kaffas, what happened?" he asked, taking in the state of their clothes and the blood still dripping off of Julian's chin. 

"Fell out of a tree," Julian mumbled through his hand. 

Dad seemed to relax a bit. "Well, come into the kitchen so we can get a good look at you."

Baba came down as Julian was climbing up onto the kitchen table, footsteps thundering down the staircase. He was also wearing a robe, but he was holding it shut with his hand, looking frazzled. Dad quickly helped him tie it closed, then got a handkerchief for Julian to press against the gash across his face.

Robe secured, Baba tilted Julian's chin up, motioning with his chin for Julian to move the handkerchief. "You got your face pretty good," he commented. "What cut it?"

"Rosebush," Julian mumbled. "Fell out of a tree. But…" His gaze moved to Theo. 

Baba and Dad followed it. "But?" Dad prompted.

"I… I caught him," Theo said, still a bit in shock. "With magic."

There was a long moment of silence, until Dad clapped his hands. "I _knew_ you'd be a talented mage! You are my daughter, after all." He beamed at her. "Let's get Julian patched up and you'll have to tell me all about it." He returned his attention to Julian.

Baba directed Dad's hands over his shoulder, cleaning the cut and wrapping a bandage around his head. He looked very silly, since to get around his ears, the bandages were wrapped in a sort of X-shape over his nose. Dad conjured up a chunk of ice and wrapped it in a towel, smashing it against the table to make the whole thing pliable. Julian held it against his face. "Thanks, Dad," he said, his voice still nasally. He looked at Theo. "And nice catch, Theo! I owe you one!"

"Yes, thank you, Theo," Baba said warmly, putting his hand on Julian's head. 

Dad held out his arms to her, and she grabbed him gratefully. "Congratulations, Theo," he said, squeezing her tightly. "Now, you must tell us the whole story." He took her by the hand and led her into the sitting room. 

It wasn't a long story, but Dad practically cackled. "You did force magic for your first time! You really are a proper Kirkwaller. And a damn talented mage at that." He ruffled her hair. "Force magic is _hard_. It takes most people months of practice." He grinned wider and ruffled her hair more, this time with both hands. "I'm so proud of you, Theo."

She smiled at him and at Baba and Julian, but then she frowned. "This means I have to go away, though." 

"Not forever," Baba said, patting the sofa beside him for Theo to sit. "And I imagine if you decide to study in Minrathous, you'd see quite a bit of your dad."

Dad smiled at her. "He's right. We could spend time together quite often. The Circle is a bit of a ways out of town, but it's a perfectly doable trip on a weekend, so long as there isn't a party I simply _must_ attend." He rolled his eyes. 

Theo looked up at Baba. "There isn't a Circle in Kirkwall, is there?"

He shook his head. "Not anymore. And I wouldn't want you there anyway. The Veil is paper thin where it used to be, according to Varric. That makes it quite dangerous for young mages especially."

Theo nodded and rested her head against Baba's wide chest. She was tired of moving around. She just wanted to be _home_.

Dad stroked her hair quietly. "I know you don't want to leave, dulcia. But magic isn't something to be ignored. You need to learn how to use it, and for all of my myriad skills, I'm not a very good teacher."

Baba snort-laughed into his shoulder.

Dad's lips twisted a bit as he looked at his husband sidelong, but after a moment, he smiled. "Regardless, it is your magic day, Theo. So what shall we have for supper?" 


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo begins her magical education.

The time to once more depart Kirkwall came too soon, as it always did, but Dorian's heart lightened at the fact Theo was coming with him. It was sad to watch her give her teary goodbyes to Bern and Julian, especially since she wouldn't be able to come all the way out to Kirkwall as often as Dorian did. But it did his heart good to see how much she had grown and relaxed during her time with his family. _Their_ family. She no longer looked like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop every moment. 

Dorian had pushed, perhaps a bit too hard, for Theo to study in Tevinter, rather than put herself at the mercy of the Southerners. The tensions between the College of Enchanters and the new Circles headed by Grand Enchanter Vivienne were only growing in the years since the Inquisiton's end, and the last thing he wanted was to see Theo embroiled in their feud. Bern had agreed with that, but he was probably more than aware of the second reason: Dorian was convinced a Southern education in magic would teach Theo that her magic was something to be feared, or be ashamed of. 

He'd seen Vivienne's shocking ignorance of spirits, and her mistrust of them. He'd heard Cole echo the hurts and fears of the rebel mages in Skyhold. More than one of them had cursed the Maker for giving them their power, and wished fervently for Him to take it away. And there was of course Cole himself, locked up and starved, forgotten by all but a lone spirit of compassion. 

On the ship to Cumberland, Theo approached him as he stared at the horizon, pretending that the roiling of his stomach was only the effect of the sea. He put an arm around her, pulling her close. She already had to carry so much hurt and pain, so much shame and fear. He wouldn't let her take on any more burdens, as much as he could prevent them. 

Unaware of his dark thoughts, she leaned into the hug, snuggling close. "Are you feeling okay, Dad?" she asked.

He kissed the top of her head. "Worlds better at your healing touch, dulcia."

She chuckled. "I don't know any healing magic. Not yet."

"Is it something you'd like to pursue? It's a very delicate thing, healing. You need a certain aptitude for it."

Her expression was wry as she looked up at him. "You're just saying that because you're not good at it."

He laughed. "I'm caught, it seems. Though, truly, there's a reason spirit healers are so respected."

She hummed thoughtfully, still leaning against him as she looked out at the sparkling sea. "I want to help people, and protect them."

Dorian stroked her hair. "That is a very admirable goal. I only advise you to study broadly while you're young. Don't box yourself in just yet. I never would've thought experimental or theoretical magic like necromancy and time magic were interesting courses of study at your age, but I quite enjoy them now."

"Okay," she said. "What _were_ you interested in, when you were my age?"

He sighed. "Living up to the Pavus name mostly. I had dreams of becoming Archon or perhaps Divine, which would have made my family incredibly proud. I was their only son, so I took it upon myself to become the most powerful and respected mage I could." He combed his fingers through her hair as he thought back through the years. "But while I was at school, I began to realize that was _all_ my parents cared about. I was a tool for their aggrandizement, not my own person."

"What's 'aggrandizement'?" Theo asked, quietly, like he was afraid the question would make him stop talking.

"It means… Hm." He considered how to put it. "It means 'improve wealth or power'. So, to them, I was just a way to make _them_ 'the parents of the Archon'. What I wanted for myself didn't matter at all. And when I realized that, I started to act out, to see what would happen if I didn't play the perfect son." He sighed again, suddenly feeling like he was telling her too much, that this would ruin her image of him, that he was pushing things she didn't need on her shoulders, but it was too late to stop. "I hoped they would try and help me, assure me that they would love me regardless of my achievements. Instead, they tried even harder to push me back into their box, withholding affection and care until I went." The glittering ocean was beautiful, but it was hard to take joy in the sight. "They harder they pushed, the harder I pushed back, until our relationship was completely broken."

Theo hugged his middle, her grip tight and fierce. "I love you, Dad," she said after a moment of floundering. 

He smiled and picked her up, letting her hug his neck. "I love you, too, Theo. I promise, no matter what you decide to do with your life, you will always have my love."

"Even if I kill someone?"

"Even so."

"Even if I burn down a city??"

Dorian smiled and kissed her nose. "Even so. But I would be rather cross with you. Loving you doesn't mean I won't punish you, or let the law do so if they must. It means I will always be there to listen to you and help as much as I can." He chuckled. "I'll visit you in prison."

She laughed and hugged him again, before asking to be put down. 

\-- 

When they got back to Tevinter, Dorian brought her to the Circle himself. The spiraling columns, the black stone dragon statues flanking the entrance… It was just as he remembered. Theo's hand tightened around his as she took it all in, avoiding the curious eyes of the other students milling about on the grounds. 

Dorian remembered his own father taking him to the Circle at Carastes for the first time, the nervous excitement in his belly, the desire to make his father proud and bring renown to the name of Pavus. It had been so long ago, before he'd known the myriad hurts to come. He never thought he'd be a parent at all.

And yet, here he stood with his daughter. He looked down at her, wondering if she felt the same as he had then. "Theo," he said. "Before we go inside and get all of the paperwork settled, I wanted to ask you something."

She looked at him, gray eyes so like his own. "Yes, Dad?"

"Do you want to keep your father's name of Selixus, take your baba's name of Adaar, or mine?"

Her eyes widened. "I… I can change it?"

His heart panged. He wondered if he would ever stop wanting to personally murder Cassius Selixus. Probably not. It was probably for the best he'd been burned to ashes. "Of course you can."

She seemed to give it a lot of thought, gently swinging their hands between them as she did. Then, she met his gaze again. "Could… Could I be a Pavus?"

Maker, he would never get used to the way his stomach could flip about inside him. "Of course you can, Theo. I thus rename you as Lady Theodora Pavus, daughter of Magister Dorian Pavus and Comte Bernart Adaar." He bowed with a flourish and kissed the back of her hand where it still held his. "And that is what you shall be forever more, if you wish."

She grinned and hugged him tightly. "I wish," she said, her voice thick with held back tears. "I wish forever."

He gave her a squeeze and straightened. "Now, let's get you settled. I think you'll like it here. Minrathous was my favorite of the Circles I attended." Granted, that was only because he'd found a mentor and sponsor in the Alexius family _outside_ of the Circle, but positive thoughts only for now.

In the corridor, they ran into Rilienus. "Dorian!" he said brightly. "What brings you—" He spotted Theo and smiled warmly. "I see. Congratulations, little one."

Once, Theo would've ducked away from a conversation with a stranger, but instead she smiled back. "Thank you."

"Could you bring us to the First Enchanter's office?" Dorian asked. "It's been far too long for me to remember where it is precisely."

Rilienus laughed and showed them both the way up the stairs, chatting pleasantly with Theo as they walked. Dorian was happy to hang back and watch her, proud of how far she'd come from the sad, scared girl he'd met a little over a year prior. 

When she was officially registered and assigned to her quarters, Dorian gave her one last hug goodbye. "I'll see you this weekend, Theo. I know you will be an amazing mage. Maybe almost as good as I am."

She laughed. "Or maybe even better."

Ruffling her hair to hide the tears that pricked his eyes, he laughed too. "Or maybe even better," he agreed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your kind comments and kudos! I'm so happy you came on this journey with me, and thank you for indulging me in my OC-centric stories. <3


End file.
